Shipping, display, and dispensing apparatus



March 27, 1956 J. M. LANZI 2,739,700

SHIPPING, DISPLAY AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed March 12, 1954 M if! ifFE Efn z IN VEN TOR. (sz%% BY United States Patent 2,739,700 SHIPPING,DISPLAY, AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Jesse M. Lanzi, Chester, Conn.,assignor to C. J. Bates & Son, Chester, Conn., a firm Application March12, 1954, Serial No. 415,888 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-44.12)

This invention relates to improvements in combined shipping and displayand dispensing apparatus.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision ofnovel apparatus for shipping and displaying and dispensing objects.

According to novel features of the invention, the apparatus is compactfor shipping and storage purposes, and at the same time the objects tobe dispensed are displayed conspicuously while the objects so displayedmay be withdrawn readily and easily therefrom.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure andrelative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by aperusal of the description below and by various specific features whichwill be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and variousother novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention aswill become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, myinvention consists in certain novel features of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter moreparticularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fullydescribed and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view of apparatus embodying novel features ofthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with parts insection for clearness; and

Fig. 3 is a small scale side elevational view of the apparatus indisplay position.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will befully described.

A support structure 2 has a rear wall 4 with a lower wall 6 extendingforwardly from the lower transverse edge to a forward vertical wall 8.The forward wall has an upper horizontal ledge 10 extending rearwardlyto a flap 12 which is secured to the front face of the rear wall by anysuitable means.

The support will preferably be formed from cardboard and the forwardface thereof may carry decorative or advertising matter as may bedesired.

A foldable easel construction 13 of usual form is secured to the rearface of the wall 4 and is arranged for folding outwardly to support thesupport as indicated in Fig. 3. The easel is omitted in Fig. 2 forclearness and forms no part of the invention.

The upper ledge 10 is provided with openings such as 16 and the forwardwall 8 is provided with transversely spaced slots to provide guidewaysbetween the vertical edges 18 of the front wall at the sides of theslots.

Objects such as 20 are stacked in the slots of the front wall 4 of thesupport and are slidable up and down for stacking therein and removaltherefrom.

In the form of the invention shown, the objects are receptacles havinglower and upper parts 22 and 24. These parts of the receptacles arehingedly connected together by spaced hinge connections 26, see Fig. 2.vThe receptacle parts on opposite sides from the hinges are provided withlateral projections 28 and 30. A projection 28 is carried by the lowerparts 22 and frictionally engages the upper part 24. The projections 30are carried by the upper parts and frictionally engage the lower partsof the receptacles. The projections frictionally hold the receptacleparts together and spaced apart as are the hinges they and the hingesact as projections to prevent withdrawal of the objects forwardly fromthe slots of the wall.

The receptacles are removable upwardly from the upper ends of the slotsand it is an easy matter to remove an uppermost receptacle from any oneof the stacks by moving it upwardly.

The receptacles may be made from various materials but plastic has beenfound to be desirable particularly that of a transparent nature sincearticles in the receptacles are visible therethrough. Of course, thereceptacles may be colored if desired.

A lock member 40 is provided which may consist of a strip of cardboardor the like. The lock 40 is inserted below the ledge 10 and on top ofthe uppermost objects in the slots so as to prevent upward movement ofthe objects in the slots. The ends 42 of the lock may be bent to preventaccidental displacement thereof.

In shipping the support with the slots thereof filled with objects, thelock 40 will hold the objects in the slots. When the support is to beset up in display position, the lock is readily withdrawn to facilitateremoval of the objects from the stacks.

The objects may be of various dimensions and the support structure maybe made to accommodate them.

The objects shown as receptacles afford an opportunity to display thecontents of the receptacles.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely asbeing illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description, and all modifications and variations as fallwithin the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appendedclaims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. Shipping and display apparatus including a support and a plurality ofreceptacles, said support including elongated rear and forward wallsconnected in parallel spaced relation by a lower wall connecting lowerends of said walls and a ledge connecting the upper end of said forwardwall and an upper portion of said rear Wall, said ledge provided withtransversely spaced openings and said forward wall provided withtransversely spaced elongated slots of a certain width open at upperends into said openings and having opposite longitudinal side edges,said receptacles having a transverse width slightly less than the widthof said slots and slidably received through said opening into the slotsand between the edges thereof and provided on opposite sides with pairsof front and rear relatively spaced projections receiving therebetweenthe edges of said slots thereby to prevent displacement of saidreceptacles forwardly from said slots, an elongated locking stripbeneath said ledge and over the uppermost receptacles in said slots toprevent movement of said receptacles from the open ends of said slots,and supporting means to support said support with the walls thereof insubstantially vertical position.

2. Shipping and display apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein saidsupporting means includes an easel secured to the rear face of said rearwall.

UNITED STATES PATENTS References Cited in the file of this patent2,231,091 Saulsbury Feb. 11, 1941 2,305,547 Myers Dec. 15, 19422,526,458 Bronnenkant Oct. 17, 1950

